


Mind over Magic

by MoonshineMadame



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Feast of Feasts, Gen, Sisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 19:29:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16604114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonshineMadame/pseuds/MoonshineMadame
Summary: It's not that Zelda doesn't believe in the sacrifice of Freya but really, there was a reason for her brother to outlaw the Feast of Feasts. So why should she be happy that they are invited to participate again, now, after all these years?





	Mind over Magic

**Author's Note:**

> How is it that no one has commented on the fact that Zelda takes the entire bottle of whiskey with her after explaining to Sabrina what exactly the Feast of Feasts is? Maybe it's just me but perhaps she wasn't too happy about all those things happening during those days...
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own 'The chilling adventures of Sabrina'.

‘Are you alright?’ Hilda asked as she stepped into their bedroom. Her eyes immediately settled on her older sister, looking so unlike her usual self.

‘I’m perfectly fine, Hilda.’ Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and slightly slurred from the whiskey.

Zelda sat in front of her vanity, both the whiskey tumbler and the mirror in shards. It was a wonder neither Sabrina nor Ambrose had come running when she had thrown the glass. She hadn’t intended to hit the mirror but she didn’t mind, not now. Maybe in the morning, when her brain wasn’t foggy with alcohol but right now she couldn’t care less.

It wasn’t until she felt Hilda’s hands on her face that Zelda realized she was crying.

Neither sister spoke a word when Hilda maneuvered her onto her bed, carefully avoiding the shards on the floor. It was a practiced routine, something they had done many times before, whenever one of them was chosen for this particular lottery.

Yes, Zelda would do anything for their Lord but the Feast of Feasts she dreaded. Not only was it a barbaric event – for the past sixteen years they had a very good reason called Sabrina not to attend – but one of the reasons Edward had banned it was its misuse.

The feast of feasts wasn’t the will of their Lord, it was the will of the current High Priest. This year would be no different, they all knew it. Why else would they be invited to participate for the first time since the reinstatement just weeks after Sabrina refused to sign the book?

 If Sabrina would be in the lottery, she would be chosen as Queen, that was clear. Zelda on the other hand…there was a chance that Faustus would let her live, he wanted his heirs safe, after all. But one could never be too sure about those things, especially not with Faustus Blackwood.

‘It’s all going to be fine,’ Hilda whispered as she gently stroked Zelda’s back. Then she handed her a little bottle that her older sister eyed suspiciously – despite her intoxicated state, which would have made the entire scene funny if it hadn’t been so serious. ‘It will just put you to sleep, Zelds. And in the morning, everything will look brighter.’

Zelda snorted – nothing could make this situation brighter. But she didn’t protest and downed the entire bottle at once. Immediately her eyes seemed to drop and she lay down on her pillows. A soft tug on Hilda’s hand was enough for her sister to lie down next to her, put her arms around her and hold her while she cried herself to sleep.

Neither of them would mention this the next morning, or ever again. But it was what they always did when one of them was to participate in a lottery, at least since they realized the sad truth about them. Then other one would take care of her and ground her and they wouldn’t speak of it again. It was just what sisters did for each other.

 

* * *

 

 

The moment Sabrina stepped into the church and interrupted the lottery, all of Zelda’s insides twisted and clenched. She wasn’t supposed to be here! Her sweet, innocent niece was not supposed to see this, especially not if Zelda drew the lot of Queen. Which she didn’t really expect, it would be a pity if the high priest lost the best midwife there was in the Coven (and since Hilda had been excommunicated, he would never ask her to look after his wife – and if he did, she would probably refuse, stubborn as she was).

Still, when Sabrina declared that she wanted to take her place, Zelda refused to let her anger, her panic and worry show. There wasn’t much she could do about it anyway, not in front of the entire Coven, with Faustus looking at them like _that._

 _But,_ she silently told herself, _if Sabrina is Queen, we will fight it. Three days are more than enough time to hide her, or disappear entirely if we must. But I will not allow her to be sacrificed for THIS._

It was ironic, really. Had Sabrina known what her aunt was thinking, she wouldn’t have tried to convince her of just that. Unfortunately, she never listened to Zelda anymore, had stopped doing so long ago. And the only person who could read Zelda like a book was aunt Hilda, or Sabrina would have at least suspected that she silently agreed with her. As it was, all she saw was her aunt’s imperturbable belief in the dark Lord and her apparent willingness to sacrifice herself.

The relief Zelda felt when Sabrina drew the lot of handmaiden was impossible to put in words. She wouldn’t lose her little girl, thank Lucifer for that.

 

* * *

 

 

The next two days passed in a blur, that terrible girl Prudence was staying with them – even Zelda was annoyed by her attitude. Sure, she had been the same kind of girl back in her school days but she had never been _that_ bad…

And then Lady Blackwood showed up in panic that something might be wrong with her children and got Sabrina stuck on that idea that she had manipulated the lottery. As much as it pained Zelda to admit it, she could see the logic in her theory – it was, after all, not uncommon that someone would tamper with the box, so why not Lady Blackwood this time? And if it stopped the feast from happening, all the better. Ritual sacrifice or not, their numbers were dwindling and feasting on another witch’s behalf, one who still had her entire life to life? If one just thought that through with reason, they would see that their brother had good reason to outlaw the feast…

In the end, it was why she agreed to her niece’s plan for the Queen’s last supper and even invited Faustus and Constance over herself. Hilda had been happy to help as well and asked her to help with their mother’s truth cake –Zelda had reclined, though, she wasn’t much of a baker and someone had to make sure that the parlor was in a perfect state for their guests.

The revelations that night…well, Zelda couldn’t really say that she was surprised. The look on Faustus face when his own wife had called him a slut had been gold – especially since Zelda knew just how true it was.

And though she would never admit it, she was more than proud of her niece. Not only had she managed to save Prudence but she also had managed to wrest the promise of banishing the feast from the high priest.

No one could have predicted that Mildred would go on anyway and slay herself. Of course that changed everything, Faustus wouldn’t stick to his bargain and she was right _. Hail Mildred indeed_ , Zelda thought, _but she wanted this so desperately. At least she did not die thinking it was the dark Lord’s will when it was really the lot of a priest._

Still, she was certain that the look on her face mirrored Sabrina’s disgust at the scene before them. Everyone was launching at Mildred’s body and neither of them could tear their eyes away. It was only when Faustus looked up, directly at Zelda, his eyes searching hers in victory, that she put her arm around Sabrina’s shoulder and turned her around. They were leaving. Now. She wouldn’t have her niece watch what they were about to do to Mildred, she had already seen more than enough.

Sabrina didn’t say a word on their way home but she clung her aunt the entire time. Zelda didn’t mind either, she was thankful, really, to actually feel that Sabrina was alright, that this nightmare was finally over. So they just walked in silence while they tried to force the picture of Mildred on the ground off their minds.

Only when they walked up the stairs to the porch did Sabrina let go of her and even then Zelda suspected that it was just so she could take out her keys. Still, neither of them spoke until they were inside.

Sabrina’s question was something she never even wanted to think about. Suddenly she was in the church again, the day of the lottery just before it was revealed who drew the lot of Queen. Those moments, she was certain of that, had been the most agonizing in her life. The question put her right back to that moment again, could Sabrina really think she would evet let anything like that happen to her?

‘Never,’ she whispered and continued up the stairs. Already on the verge of tears, she steadied herself on the bannister at her niece’s next question. The dark Lord’s will? Yes, of course Zelda was devout – she had only ever been rivaled here by her little brother and even that was only because women could not become priests – but Edward would have never forgiven her if she let his little girl be harmed like that. And even more important was that she could have never forgiven herself, for yes, Sabrina might only be their niece by blood but truly, but she cared for her as if she was her own child. What kind of parent would she be, then, if she let something like this happen to her?

So Zelda turned around one more time to answer.

‘It wouldn’t have mattered.’ She was surprised herself by how little her voice quivered, how certain she sounded before she hurriedly excused herself and disappeared into the bedroom. It was empty but Hilda had – in true Hilda-fashion – left a pot of hot tea on her bedside table, with a little bottle of sleep tincture and something that looks suspiciously like brandy.

A ghost of a smile flitted over her face when she saw that, of course Hilda would try to take care of her. Sometimes she really though she should be nicer to her little sister – but then she did something utterly infuriating again and, well…

But right now, Zelda didn’t care about any of those things as she poured the brandy in the teacup and took a long sip. Outside, she could hear the shuffling of feet and voices, Hilda putting Sabrina to bed like they had so often when she was a child.

With a deep sigh, Zelda took a sip of the sleep tincture – not the one Hilda used to fall asleep, this one was to keep any form of dream away. That was exactly what she needed after the last few days: A night of dreamless sleep, so she could get up tomorrow and face all those new nightmares that would be thrown at them.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it - if I write any more OSs, should I put them in a collection as 'chapters' of this one or upload them all seperately? ^^


End file.
